Love is Blind
by Daphne
Summary: Hermione finds love with a man who has an unexpected secret. Based on a true story, *extremely* sweet. Please R/R!!!


Love is Blind

"Come now! It'll be fun!" Lavender Brown whined annoyingly. "He's great! I promise!"

"Lav, if I've told you once, I've told you a million times: I don't like blind dates. Knowing _you_, he'll be insane, wild, and crazy. Please, just leave my love life _alone_!" Hermione snapped. _If she weren't trying to set me up incessantly, I might have considered it. It's kind of like the Boy who Cried Wolf, she cried 'perfect for you' so many times when there were none, I won't believe her anymore._

"Please Hermione! This guy, Brandon, he's great! I'm telling you! He's the sweetest guy ever. I know you've had a hard time with guys. Ever since Harry" She trailed off, turning her face from Hermione.

"Died? Ever since Harry died?" Hermione finished the sentence. "God Lavender, just leave me alone. I don't want your help or your pity. He died, and part of me died with him, okay?"

"Just meet him for dinner. Once. I will never bother you again." She pleaded, cupping Hermione's chin in her hand. "Please?" She begged once more. "It would be casual, and you'll have fun. I promise."

"Fine. Fine, okay? Will you leave me alone now? Tell me when and where, and I will be there." She gave in, pulling out a laundry basket and beginning to fold it. Glancing out of the window, she thought of what she was getting into while Lavender was telling her where to go.

"It's a cute little place on Periwinkle and Chestnut called "La Belle Fleur". You'll like it. Six o'clock, tonight. Be there, okay?" Hermione nodded.

She had grown into a woman after her seventh year. After not seeing each other for three years, she and Harry had bumped into each other at a reunion. She was in a serious relationship with a guy named Rick, and he had asked her to marry him.

She remembered describing it to Lavender as thinking, "Oh my God! Where have you been all my life?" That night, she called Rick and told him no. She never saw him again.

They got married and had two kids, Rosie and Andrew, now 5 and 7. When little Rosie was only two, Harry got on a plane to go to the United States on business- he couldn't apparate. She remembered the morning after so well Eternity Airlines flight 702 had crashed in the ocean, no survivors. Harry had left her.

And it wasn't because he was killed in a courageous battle, saving people and dying valiantly to defeat the Dark Lord. No, it was like any other plane crash that _he_ had been on. He died slightly normally. Oh God, _why_?

Every time Lavender had tried to set her up, they had an animal attraction to her. No, not to her: her looks. Like we said, she had grown into a woman, and she was in her late twenties. When she found someone that didn't like her just for physical attributes, they never liked the kids. This would be the last time she would ever agree to go on a date with any of Lavender's friends. Last time.

When she appeared at La Belle Fleur and six o'clock sharp and sat down at the proper table, she was greeted by a very handsome man. He was clean-shaven, with a Ben Affleck type of look that made her drool. It reminded her of Harry. 

"Hello," He held out his hand, "you must be Hermione?"

She took it, replying, "Yes, and you're Brandon." He nodded. "Nice to meet you."

She was taken aback by his honesty and humor. When she told him about her kids he smiled and said he'd love to meet them. 

"I think you're beautiful." He said to her while they were leaving.

"Thank you." She said, and meant it. "I would love to meet you again."

After driving home, she raced in the door where Lavender, her babysitter, was waiting.

"Well?" She asked.

"It was wonderful! I had such a marvelous time! He wants to meet my kids, and he's so nice and funny! And as we were leaving, he said I was beautiful. Oh, Lav, you're great! I just worry about a "physical attraction only" thing Even though I didn't feel like that was going on, one still has to worry. But he said he liked the kids-" Hermione was interrupted after talking aloud for a while.

"_Physical attraction?_" Lavender asked, scratching her head. "He said you were beautiful?"

"Yeah. Oh, forget the physical attraction only thing. He said I was beautiful, and he looked like he really meant it."

"Are we talking about the same Brandon? Kind of looks like Ben Affleck?" 

"Yeah."

"No, there isn't any 'physical attraction only' thing going on, Herm. When he said you were beautiful, he saw what you were on the _inside_." Lavender began to explain.

"What do you mean?"

"He liked you because of who you were, not what you looked like, because he's blind."

Epilogue:

Hermione and Brandon, after a three year relationship, got married and lived the rest of their lives happily. Hermione was always comforted by the feeling of being truly loved; inside _and_ out.

Based on a true story, published in Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul I, II, or III

Disclaimer: The storyline belongs to the publisher of the books above, and the characters belong to Bloomsbury Press and J.K, Rowling. Please don't sue!

Please R/R!!!


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